The Washington critic., 1887-12-07
INTERDICTED DRUGS.
Tho Restrictions Upon tho Selling o
Laudanuiu and Opium.


A stylishly dressed and dainty little lady
tripped up to the drug store clerk, and with
a smile sweet enough TO turn into honey the
bottle of citric acid on the shelf behind him,
said.
"Lct me haycicn cents worth of oflaudanum,
plcasc?"
Certainly. Er--ali, may ask what you
wish to do with it, Miss"
'lf you have the curiosity, of course; I
want 1t TO allay the neuralgia in my tooth, ~
she replied somewhat stifily.
Pardon, me, II Is not curiosity said the
young man rather confuscdly, "but the law
requires us To be very careful about selling
such articles"
"Oh, don't mention il, replied the little
lady, graciously, and becoming much inter
cstcd in casc-full of gorgeous plush toilet
boxes rcplctc with satin Innings and plato
mirrors, TilE CRlrfc young man paused In
the operation of lighting his Decent Reinn
Victoria 10 watch the scene.
The drug clerk took down large bottle of
lnndnnlim and poured out some in n vial.
He then pasted on the vial lurid label with
u death li's-hcad and cross-bones and the word
PoIsoS printed in red characters upon Il.
After wTuppingi IL carefully and tying it with
much flourish of pink string, he took down
q big book.
May trouble You for your nance" he
asked swcctly, dipping his pen into the
NIX.
"Why, is that necessary, sir2'' she inquired
,"rl!c law requires us TO keep II register of
all poisOns sent out.
The name was given and she stood tap
ping her dainty little foot upon the floor.
"And your address, he inquired.
The dclicatcly-urchcd eyebrows camc to-
gcthcr in u irown as she coldly replied.
When he had written the address she asked
a.tts Il
Would you like to have my age, also2n
But the drug clerk never quailed and his
"Oh, no, the law does not require that" was
said in most modifying tone as he handed
her the change.
The little woman was mad.
Very mad. She gathered up her parcels
and swept out of the store with the dignity
of an offended queen, not even pausing 10
inspect most tempting display of new per-
fumes just set out on the counter.
NOW, what's the use of that woman act
ing in such manner" said the clerk, reach,
lug over for piece of chewing gum. ave
have TO keep a register of the NAMES and adj
dresses OF all people to whom posons are ,
sold. We also state what purpose it was
sold for, as alleged by the purchaser. We
are very careful. Now, If n person came in
here for morphine or laudanum and by the
address given or her manner led me to think
she was member of the demi-monde, she
~
ton. When they come for such drugs it
sometimes means it is the alternative of the
river or the pistol | have one customer, an
unfortunate girl of that class, who comes
regularly three times u week with II prescrip-
tion for morphine She eats it. She told
me one day that il made her forget the pres
ent and gave her just so many hours the less
each day OF sorrow and shame. She could
not stop the habit now If she wanted to. 1t
will finally be the death of her"
DO you sell much of the drug to regular
morphine eaters?" asked the reporter.
ave sell considerable morphine to people
We suspect of being addicted to the habit of
eating it. They always give us "A plausible
story as to what use they intend to put it to,
though There is not n great deal of NOR
phino eating. Too much hns been written
about the deadly effects of the habit, and
people are afraid of it. Physicians are eau
iioiis about prescribing ii, too. Another
arm and injecting the morphine under the
skin. | know ofa number of people who
do that. There is one young fellow in this
city, not 25 years old, quite u society man,
too, whose left arm is one mass of ulcers
from injecting morphine. He could not
quit the habit, though, and his other arm
will soon be in the same shape.
"Do you know Of many opium smokers
here?n
~ learned froma New York travelling man
whose house supplies them the drug, the
names OF, five ladies in this city, wealthy
people, who smoke opium. They were in
the habit of pooling their money, buying the
opium under fictitious name and having il
sent by express. On one of his trips here he
caught OH to their little racket by accident
and asked me about the people"
Just as the reporter was going to ask the
clerk if he had heard. any one revive the
ancient and timc-honored semi-annual
t1,n f
joint in Washington Congressman came
in for his morning eye-opener. of mineral
water, and the Cmuo young man strollel
out.